Cumberland County Women Plead Guilty to
State Tax Charges

Date: 7/23/2004

RALEIGH – Two Cumberland County women recently pleaded guilty
in Wake County District Court to tax charges filed by the North Carolina
Department of Revenue.

Joslyn Renee Colvin, 23, of 2323 Ireland Drive and Lapresha Nicole
McLean, 24, of 2562 Caedonia Circle, each pleaded guilty to one count
of obtaining property by false pretenses. Both are Fayetteville residents.

A Wake County District Court Judge sentenced Colvin to a 6-month
minimum, 8-month maximum prison term. The sentence was suspended
and Colvin was placed on supervised probation for 36 months. She
was further ordered to pay restitution of $487, perform 30 hours
of community service and pay a $200 fine. McLean was sentenced to
a 5-month minimum, 6-month maximum prison term. The sentence was
suspended and she was placed on supervised probation for 24 months.
She was also ordered to perform 50 hours of community service and
pay a $100 fine.

An investigation by a special agent with the North Carolina Department
of Revenue found that Colvin and McLean filed fraudulent North Carolina
individual income tax returns claiming they were employed by local
businesses during the year 2002 and had taxes withheld from their
wages. State’s evidence showed that Colvin and McLean were
not employed by these businesses and did not have taxes withheld
by these companies. The returns were intended to deceive the Department
of Revenue and cause the state to issue income tax refunds greater
than they were entitled to receive.

In a related scheme, Kimberly Joe Melvin, 27, of 2917 A Dwelle Drive,
Fayetteville was indicted by a grand jury on six counts of aiding
and assisting in the preparation of fraudulent income tax returns.
She was arrested on July 12, 2004, appeared before a Cumberland County
magistrate and was placed under a $30,000 secured bond. A court date
has not been set.

The charges against Colvin, McLean and Melvin resulted from an investigation
by a special agent with the Department’s Criminal Investigations
Division in Raleigh.